As important as what goes into a Mai Tai is what doesn't — notably, Mai Tai mix, flavored rum, grenadine and/or crushed ice. To make a proper Mai Tai, use 3/4 of an ounce of fresh lime juice, 1/4 of an ounce of rock candy syrup, a 1/4 of an ounce of orgeat, 1/2 an ounce of orange curacao and 2 ounces of a premium aged rum.

Martin Cate, owner of the tiki bar Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, believes that the Mai Tai has been disgraced in bars and tropical destinations for far too long, and that the cocktail needs to return to its roots.